Notre Dame, Brimfield/Elmwood softball carry high expectations

Peoria — Expectations entering the 2014 softball season are high for two of the area’s programs.

Notre Dame and Brimfield/Elmwood will be carefully followed, not only by teams from around the Journal Star area, but statewide. They both garnered lofty preseason rankings from the Illinois Coaches Association — ND is No. 4 in Class 3A and B/E is seventh among Class 2A schools.

The Irish are coming off an Elite Eight appearance and return last season’s Journal Star Player of the Year, Annie Fleming, among six other starters.

“We’ve had pretty big expectations since the last game of last season,” ND coach Ed Olehy said.

But don’t think for a minute that Olehy is overlooking anyone. East Peoria, which returns 2011 POY and Illinois State recruit Sarah Finck, Washington and a host of other Mid-Illini Conference schools will be looking to knock off the reigning Mid-State 6 Conference champs.

“To get out of our area is going to be tough,” Olehy said.

Big-game experience and having Kenzie Parker, Chloe Petersen, Mikkinzie Stokes, Marcy Serrano, Megan Wilson and Sydney Bina back is a huge plus for the Irish. Notre Dame hosts East Peoria at the Franciscan Center on April 12 in a must-see doubleheader.

As for B/E, an already loaded lineup got a boost with the mid-semester transfer of Morgan Florey from Farmington. The two-time, first-team JS All-Area selection joins a batting lineup that returns seven starters, hit .329 and averaged 7.6 runs.

She will also join the pitching staff of Bekka Roberts, Morgan Ledbetter and Kendra Gorham, who accounted for all 21 wins, a 2.24 ERA and 167 strikeouts.

“We have four very good pitchers,” first-year B/E coach Kurt Juerjens said. “It will be hard to find time for everybody, but I think they understand that.

“But they all work at it and we’ll just have to kind of see how it goes as the season goes on.”

Along with Florey, the Indians have first-team JS All-Area shortstop Kerrigan Dura, Kennedy Dura, Ryleigh Keith and Hannah Huber returning to the field.

Much like what Notre Dame will face, there’s a ton of competition in 2A for Brimfield/Elmwood, including last season’s state runner-up Tremont and Olympia, which made the Elite Eight.

“The kids are excited,” Juerjens said. “They’re a hardworking bunch, who are very easy to work with.

“We do have high expectations.”

Adam Duvall can be reached at 686-3207 or aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.